THE ALPHA BILLIONAIRE CLAIMED BY MY FATED MATE

Something was off. Way off.

Isabella Kael double-checked the email from GeneSys Ancestry. The address and time matched the map on her phone, and it was exactly the hour they had requested. They had insisted on an in-person consultation due to "irregular findings" in her DNA results.

But the office building was silent. Empty.

She scanned the room-there was a sleek reception desk, the GeneSys logo gleaming on the wall, a digital display looping some generic slideshow about heritage and legacy. A lonely potted plant stood in the corner, its leaves drooping as though neglected. The space felt... abandoned. Not just deserted, but forgotten, like no one had stepped foot inside in days, maybe longer.

Isabella's gut churned. Her instincts screamed at her to leave, but curiosity-no, the need for answers-held her in place. She had spent years wondering about her origins, her parents, who she really was. After bouncing between foster homes, all she wanted was to understand her roots, to fill the gnawing emptiness that shadowed her. This DNA test had promised answers-connections. And yet here she stood, in a hollow, echoing office, no closer to the truth.

Her thoughts spiraled. What had they found? A hidden lineage? Something dangerous? Maybe something wrong with her-something beyond human. She clenched her jaw, pushing the fear down. She had lived her entire life preparing for the worst. This was just another challenge.

"Isabella Kael?" A voice, deep and rough, broke the silence.

Isabella turned quickly, her muscles tensing. A man-or rather, a giant-filled the doorway, his presence overwhelming. Broad shoulders stretched the fabric of his all-black suit, and his eyes, dark and unreadable, locked onto hers.

"Damn," Isabella muttered, her heartbeat spiking. "You're... big."

The man didn't react to the comment. His face was stone. "Follow me," he commanded, his voice as low as thunder.

Isabella narrowed her eyes. "Not until you tell me what this is about. Why am I here?"

The giant's expression tightened, as though he was used to obedience, not defiance. "This isn't the place to explain. Come with me. Now."

Something in the man's tone stirred unease, but Isabella held her ground. "I'm good here. If there's something wrong with my results, just say it. What, do I have some long-lost family who's in jail? Or am I... something else?"

The man's nostrils flared slightly, and in that moment, Isabella felt it-a shift in the atmosphere. The air thickened, growing almost oppressive. There was a faint hum, barely perceptible, but it thrummed at the edge of her awareness, like the world was holding its breath.

"Did you feel that?" Isabella asked, her voice harder than she intended.

The man's eyes darkened, a flicker of something animalistic in them. "Come now," he repeated, his voice colder. "It's not safe here."

"Not safe?" Isabella echoed. Her mind raced. What the hell was going on?

Without warning, the man reached out, his large hand clamping around her wrist with surprising speed. The grip was firm, but not painful-just unyielding.

"Let go," Isabella growled, her eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and fear. But the giant didn't release her. Instead, the pressure in the air increased, as if the room itself was pressing down on her chest, squeezing the breath out of her. Her lungs strained, her heart hammered.

Isabella gasped, struggling for air. Her vision blurred around the edges.

"Breathe," the man said, his voice softer now, but it carried an unmistakable command. "If you want to keep breathing, come with me."

With no other choice, Isabella stumbled forward, crossing the threshold into the dimly lit hallway the man led her toward. As soon as she stepped through, the crushing weight lifted, and air flooded back into her lungs. She gasped, her vision clearing as she leaned against the wall, regaining her composure.

The man, unfazed, stood silently a few steps ahead, waiting. "You'll meet him now," he said.

"Who?" Isabella snapped, still catching her breath. "Who's waiting for me?"

The man's lips curled slightly, almost a smile, but there was no humor in it. "Darius-your Alpha."

Isabella's blood ran cold. "Alpha?" she repeated, disbelief thick in her voice. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"You'll understand soon enough," the man said, stepping toward another door that had appeared at the end of the hallway. With a slow, deliberate motion, he pushed it open, revealing a room bathed in soft, eerie light.

A figure stood in the center, tall and commanding, his presence filling the space even before Isabella saw his face. The tension in the air shifted again, and she felt it deep in her bones, like an ancient instinct stirring to life.

"Welcome, Isabella Kael," the figure said, his voice smooth, but carrying a weight that made her skin prickle. "It's time for you to learn what you truly are."